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Home › Articles › Eating For Two › Snacks Done Right

Snacks Done Right

Satisfying Pregnancy Cravings in a Healthy Way

By Lisa A. Goldstein

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

If you wake up in the middle of the night hungry, Procter advises trying foods that would be less likely to cause indigestion – a common problem as pregnancy progresses.

"Sometimes a warm cup of tea with some crackers may hit the spot or warm milk but not something cold," says Crivelli-Kovach. "At night when your body is resting, the digestive system is also resting, and cold food would be a shock to the system and more difficult to digest – kind of like taking a cold shower to wake up. If the mom wants to go back to sleep, I recommend simply having a warm drink. It is amazing what that can do, and you don't over-tax your digestive system by giving it food in the middle of the night."

If a roast beef sandwich is calling your name, however, there's nothing wrong with that either, says Procter. A small snack could be the way to go. Procter recalls a patient who woke up starved one night and felt guilty eating a bowl of cereal. She didn't need to feel guilty; her weight gain was right on track and she ended up delivering a healthy, good-sized baby boy.

Junk and On-the-go Foods
What about those junk food cravings? It's OK to give in once in a while. "Comfort food sometimes just soothes the stress and tension of life and pregnancy, but too much of the empty calorie foods will add more pounds and be much less satisfying, with the resulting effect of having the mom get hungry again maybe an hour or so after eating the last snack," says Crivelli-Kovach.

If you're out and about and get a hunger pang, it's best to be prepared. Procter lists some good portable snacks: a piece of fruit, a small container or bag of cereal or nuts to munch on, dried fruit or a peanut butter sandwich. "Popcorn is another good portable snack, and cut-up fresh vegetables pack pretty well," she says. "A frozen box of 100-percent fruit juice will thaw in time for a snack, and you can keep other packed snacks cool at the same time. Graham crackers would be a good choice, and water is another nutrient the pregnant woman needs to be sure to include throughout the day."


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